EIA-176 instructions 2021

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
ENERGY INFORMATION
ADMINISTRATION
Washington, DC 20585

OMB No. 1905-0175
Expiration Date: 1/31/2024
Burden: 12 Hours

ANNUAL REPORT OF NATURAL AND SUPPLEMENTAL GAS SUPPLY AND DISPOSITION
FORM EIA-176
INSTRUCTIONS
PURPOSE
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Form EIA-176,
Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and
Disposition, collects data on natural, synthetic, and other
supplemental gas supplies, disposition, and certain revenues by state.
The data appear in the EIA publications Monthly Energy Review,
Natural Gas Annual, and Natural Gas Monthly.

WHO MUST SUBMIT

TO SUBMIT
Form EIA-176 is due March 1. If an extension is needed,
call (877) 800-5261.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Form EIA-176 is mandatory under 15 U.S.C. §772(b) and must be
completed by:

Instructions on how to file by secure file transfer, mail, or fax,
are printed on Part 2 of Form EIA-176.

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)

Secure File Transfer: You can file through the Secure File
Transfer System. The secure hypertext transfer protocol (HTTPS) is
a secure, encrypted
method
to
send
information
electronically. All information is protected by 128-bit
encryption to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of
transmitted data. You can access the Secure File Transfer System
at:
https://signon.eia.doe.gov/upload/noticeoog.jsp.

Interstate natural gas pipeline companies
Intrastate natural gas pipeline companies
Natural gas distribution companies
Underground natural gas storage operators
Synthetic natural gas plant operators
Field, well, or processing plant operators that deliver natural gas
directly to consumers (including their own industrial facilities)
other than for lease or plant use or processing.
(7) Field, well, or processing plant operators that transport gas to,
across, or from a state border through field or gathering
facilities
(8) Liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage operators, both peaking
facilities and marine terminals
(9) Producers of high-Btu renewable natural gas that
inject into an interstate or intra-state pipeline, or who
deliver to a natural gas distributor.
You must complete a separate report for each state in which your
company is engaged in one or more of the following activities:
(1) Gas (natural, commingled natural and supplemental gas, or
LNG) transportation using respondent-operated facilities other
than field or gathering lines
(2) Gas transportation to, from, or across a state border using
respondent-operated field or gathering lines
(3) Gas delivery directly to consumers using respondent-operated
facilities other than field, well, or plant operators delivering
solely for lease and plant use or processing
(4) Gas storage in respondent-operated underground storage
reservoirs, or LNG storage facilities
(5) Synthetic natural gas production in respondent-operated
facilities

This report is mandatory. Each company subsidiary or affiliate
meeting the filing requirements that operated separate systems
within a state must file a separate report. However, you can request
approval to report for a state on a consolidated basis by calling EIA
at (877) 800-5261.

Fax: (202)586-1076
Mail to:
U. S. Department of Energy
Oil & Gas Survey
Ben Franklin Station
P.O. Box 279
Washington, DC 20044-0279

COPIES OF THE
INSTRUCTIONS

SURVEY

FORM

AND

You can get copies in portable document format (PDF)
and spreadsheet format (XLS) on EIA's website at:
http://www.eia.gov/survey/#eia-176
Files must be saved to your personal computer. Data cannot
be entered interactively on the website.

QUESTIONS
If you have questions, call (877) 800-5261. If you contact us about
this report, be sure to include your EIA identification number.

HOW TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY FORM
Complete only the parts and data elements that apply to
your operations. Leave all other spaces blank. Don’t enter any data
in the shaded areas or spaces.

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You must report all information on a calendar-year basis. Volumes
must refer to natural gas physically in your possession (custody
basis).
You don’t have to file a revised report unless actual or corrected data
vary more than plus (+) or minus (-) 4% from the data you previously
reported.

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS
PART 1: RESPONDENT IDENTIFICATION
Please provide up-to-date company information.
EIA ID number: Complete the 10-digit identification number
assigned to your company. Companies operating in more than one
state have a unique number for operations in each state. If we haven’t
assigned an ID number to you, contact us at (877) 800-5261.
Resubmission: Check the resubmission box only if you are filing a
revised report.
Company name: Enter your company name.
Operations in (state): Enter the name of the state that the report
covers. You must submit a separate report for each state in which
your company operates.
Contact information: Enter the company’s contact information.
PART 2: SUBMISSION INFORMATION
This section provides information on the options available for
submitting your completed Form EIA-176:
File Transfer

3: COMPANY CHARACTERISTICS
A. Type of operations (check all that apply). Check all of the boxes
that describe your company’s gas operations. EIA uses this
information to provide aggregates of the data collected in the survey
by type of company. The “Definitions” section in these instructions
describes natural gas operations.
B. Vehicles powered by natural gas. Indicate whether your
company fleet includes vehicles powered by alternative fuels, along
with the type of fuel these vehicles use. If your company fleet
includes vehicles powered by natural gas, enter the number of those
vehicles that you have.
C. Customer choice program. Indicate if your company actively
allows residential and/or commercial customers, regardless of size,
to purchase fuel from an alternative supplier. If yes, enter the number
of customers in your service territory eligible for such programs at
the end of the calendar year and the number participating at the end
of the year. The number of participants may not necessarily equal the
number of transportation customers listed in Part 4, Line 11, because
the measurements were taken at different times.
D. Sales/acquisitions. Indicate whether your company’s service
territory changed because of a purchase or sale of any system or part
of a system. For instance, if a municipal system was acquired, write

“yes,” and in the Comments box write the name of the system and
the transaction date.
E. Distribution Territory. If you are a local distribution company,
list all counties to which your company delivers natural gas, even if
you only deliver partially to a given county. Use the Comments box
in Part 7A to list additional counties, if necessary.
F. LNG storage. If your company owns, operates, or uses LNG
storage, write the name and zip code of each affiliated storage
facility. Please list all aboveground LNG storage facilities owned,
operated, or providing service to your company. An LNG facility
means a pipeline facility that is used for liquefying natural gas or
synthetic gas or transferring, storing, or vaporizing liquefied natural
gas, typically stored in large tanks. Use the Comments box in Part
7A to list additional facilities, if necessary.
PART 4: NATURAL AND SUPPLEMENTAL GAS SUPPLY
FOR THE REPORT STATE
Report the total volumes of natural and supplemental gas physically
produced or received and taken into company-operated storage,
company-operated transportation, or company-operated distribution
facilities located in the report state. Report volumes on a physical
possession basis regardless of ownership.
1.0 If you are a producer, report production within the report
state:
1.1 Natural gas: Report gross production, after lease
separation, (including royalty and overriding royalty interest)
taken directly into your system at the wellhead, field, or tailgate
of a processing plant, whether produced from wells operated by
your company or operated by others.
Report vented and flared volumes and extraction loss volumes
on Line 18.4.
1.2 Synthetic natural gas (SNG): Report the volume of
synthetic natural gas produced in the plant or plants your
company operated. Synthetic natural gas, also referred to as
substitute natural gas, is a manufactured product, chemically
similar in most respects to natural gas, resulting from the
conversion or reforming of coal or petroleum hydrocarbons that
may easily be substituted for, or interchanged with, pipelinequality natural gas.
2.0 If you are a storage operator, report operations within the
report state: Report the total volume, regardless of ownership, of
underground storage withdrawals (2.1) and liquefied natural gas
(LNG) storage withdrawals (2.2).
2.1 Underground storage withdrawals: Include a
corresponding entry on Part 6 (disposition), most likely on
Line 18.2, so that the net value of your storage activity’s
supply and disposition is zero.
2.2 Liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage withdrawals
(regasification): LNG import and export marine terminals
should not report withdrawals of natural gas during the course
of routine operations for handling imports and not held in
storage for future use.
The section of these instructions titled “LNG Marine Terminals
Reporting” has further guidance.

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3.0 If you are an interstate pipeline company or other company
receiving physical custody at state lines or at U.S. borders, report
receipts: Report the name of the company, the adjacent state or
country from which you received the gas; the means of transportation
to deliver gas (by pipeline, vessel, or truck); and the volume of gas you
received at the state line or U.S. border. For liquefied natural gas
(LNG) received by ship, rail, barge, or truck, consider the receiving
terminal as a point on the state line or U.S. border, report the name of
the state or country from which the LNG was shipped, and describe
the transaction in a footnote on Part 7.
4.0 If you are a distributor, report receipts at city gates within
the report state: Report gas volumes received at the city gate for
delivery to end-use customers.
4.1 Report the total volume of purchased gas received in
your distribution service area during the year: Volumes
should represent all gas you physically received for sale and
delivery to consumers, whether purchased from pipeline
companies, marketers, brokers, producers, or other sources, or
exchange gas, or company-owned gas received from storage not
stored in company-owned storage facilities.
Pipeline companies are not required to report Citygate
purchases.
Respondents with a contiguous distribution service area
extending across states lines should report purchased gas
information by state on the reports for the states in which you
received the gas.
4.2 Report volumes of gas received into your service
territory for delivery on behalf of third parties or
marketers: Report receipts of gas in your distribution service
area for delivery to your end-use transportation customers.
5.0 Report any other receipts of natural gas within the report
state: Report the volume of other receipts within the report state if
the gas was delivered to a point on your company’s system and not
previously reported in questions 1.0 through 4.0 above. Include
volumes of natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and synthetic natural
gas.
6.0 Supplemental gaseous fuel supplies (specify type): Report
sources of supplemental gas supply received or introduced into your
system and the volumes of each. Supplemental gas includes any
gaseous substance introduced into or commingled with natural gas
that increases the volume available for disposition. Such substances
include, but are not limited to, propane-air, refinery gas, coke oven
gas, still gas, manufactured gas, biomass gas, or air or inerts added
for Btu stabilization.
PART 5: LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS (LNG) STORAGE
INVENTORY
8.0 Inventory and capacity of liquefied natural gas in storage
as of December 31 of report year: Report inventory and
capacity of LNG facilities (8.1) and marine terminal facilities
(8.2) as of December 31 of the report year. Capacity refers to the
Maximum Daily Sendout Capacity of the LNG facility and
should be reported in million cubic feet per day.
PART 6: NATURAL AND SUPPLEMENTAL
DISPOSITION FOR THE REPORT STATE

GAS

In Part 6, report the total volumes of and the revenue (including
taxes) from natural and supplemental gas delivered to others,

consumed, or stored in company-operated facilities or otherwise
disposed of within the state, or delivered to bordering states or
foreign countries.
The type of disposition (delivered, consumed, stored, etc.) is
determined by the physical possession of the gas within your
company-operated production, transportation, storage, or
distribution facilities at the point of disposition.
Report revenue information only for volumes sold and delivered
directly to the end-use customers. Revenues should be gross
revenues, including any and all demand charges, commodity
charges, taxes, surcharges, adjustments, or other charges billed for
gas delivered. You must include any gains or losses associated with
financial hedges. Check the F box and indicate by footnote if you did
not include taxes in your revenue figures. Round all revenue values
to the nearest whole number of dollars.
The average number of consumers during the year, for the purpose
of this report, is the sum of the number of consumers attached to your
system at the end of each month divided by twelve.
Count each dwelling, building, plant, establishment, or location as a
separate consumer for this report, whether or not centrally billed and
whether or not provided with more than one type of service, (e.g.,
firm and interruptible service).
Classify your consumers by category using the definitions provided
below. Classify multiple-use or combination consumers (such as
apartment buildings with commercial establishments, retail stores
with attached dwellings, or industrial plants with on-site office space
or buildings served from a common meter) based on the predominate
volumetric usage. If certain categories (e.g. residential or
commercial) are carried on a combined basis in your accounts,
provide your best estimate of the information for each category
separately. If you have no reasonable basis for categorizing the
estimates, enter the information as “Other,” check the F box, and
describe it in a footnote in Part 7.
Report deliveries directly to end-use consumers are to be reported
based on the following definitions:
Residential: An energy-consuming sector that consists of living
quarters for private households. Common uses of energy associated
with this sector include space heating, water heating, and cooking.
The residential sector includes mobile homes and apartment
buildings (whether privately owned or publicly subsidized) and
excludes institutional living quarters.
Commercial: An energy-consuming sector that consists of serviceproviding facilities and equipment of businesses; federal, state, and
local governments; and other private and public organizations, such
as religious, social, or fraternal groups. The commercial sector
includes institutional living quarters. Common uses of energy
associated with this sector include space heating, water heating,
cooking, and running a wide variety of equipment. This sector
includes generators that produce electricity and/or useful thermal
output primarily to support the activities of the above-mentioned
commercial establishments. Do not include vehicle fuel and
company use in the commercial sector.
Industrial: An energy-consuming sector that consists of all facilities
and equipment used for producing, processing, or assembling goods.
The industrial sector encompasses the following types of activity:
manufacturing (North American Industry Classification System
(NAICS) codes 31-33); agriculture, forestry, and fishing and hunting
(NAICS 11); mining, including oil and gas extraction (NAICS 21);
and construction (NAICS 23). Overall energy use in this sector is
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largely for process heat and powering machinery, with lesser
amounts used for facility heating. Natural gas is also used as raw
material inputs to manufactured products. Note: This sector includes
generators that produce electricity and/or useful thermal output
primarily to support the above-mentioned industrial activities.
Electric power: An energy-consuming sector that consists of
electricity-only plants and combined heat and power (CHP) plants,
whose primary business is to sell electricity, or electricity and heat,
to the public – i.e., NAICS 22 plants. Includes volumes consumed in
company-owned generation facilities. Interdepartmental volumes
used to fuel company-owned generation facilities should be
classified as electric power.
Vehicle fuel: Natural gas, either compressed (CNG) or liquefied
(LNG), used to power motor vehicles. Interdepartmental volumes
used to fuel company-owned fleets should be classified as company
use and reported on Line 12.5. Please exclude fuel for companyowned fleets from Lines 10.5 and 11.5. You can report CNG in
thousand cubic feet (Mcf) or dekatherm conversion units.
Other (not included in above categories)/Specify type: Use this
category only for service you provided directly to consumers for
which you are uncertain of the correct category (residential,
commercial, industrial, electric power, and vehicle fuel). Use the
space provided to specify the type of delivery you are reporting here.
9.0 Heat content of gas delivered to consumers (Btu/cf): Compute
the average annual heat content (Btu) by summing the total Btu
delivered during the report year (volume delivered directly to
consumers multiplied by average Btu content per unit volume) and
dividing by the total volume delivered directly to consumers during
that year. The value for heat content is expected to be in the range of
900 to 1,200 Btu/cf.
If you billed on a volumetric basis and your company did not
measure the Btu content, contact your supplier for the information.
10.0 Deliveries of natural gas that you own to end-use consumers
within the report state: Report the average number of consumers
served directly from your facilities during the year, the volumes sold
and delivered to those consumers, and the revenues received in the
appropriate category. Include deliveries directly to your companyowned commercial, industrial, or electric power facilities.
How to Report “Type of Consumer” on Form EIA-176
Master-metered apartments
Residential
Mobile homes
Residential
Multi-family dwellings, individually metered
Residential
Single-family dwellings
Residential
Churches and hospitals
Commercial
Government (local, state and federal) agencies Commercial
Commercial
Hotels
Non-manufacturing military installations
Commercial
Restaurants
Commercial
Retail stores
Commercial
Schools and universities
Commercial
Wholesale stores
Commercial
Industrial
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries
Mining (including oil and gas extraction)
Industrial
Manufacturing
Industrial
Regulated electric utilities
Electric Power
Electric Power
Nonregulated electricity generators
The size of an operation does not affect consumer classification:

1.
2.

Classify large commercial operations as commercial, not
industrial.
Classify small industrial operations as industrial, not
commercial.

11.0 Deliveries of natural gas that you do not own to end-use
consumers within the report state: Report the average number of
consumers served directly from your facilities, volumes delivered
to, and revenues received for transportation of natural gas to those
consumers for each end-use consumer category.
Pipeline companies are not required to provide revenue data for
deliveries of gas that they do not own. If your company supplies
LNG and/or CNG to retail outlets, report these volumes on line 11.5
as vehicle fuel.
12.0 Natural gas consumed in your operations: Report the
volume of gas consumed as fuel in your company's operations:
Space heat of your own facilities (12.1), new pipeline fill (12.2),
pipeline distribution or storage compressor use (12.3), gas used
for vaporization, liquefaction, and LNG fuel (12.4), vehicle fuel
used in your company-owned fleet (12.5), and other (specify
type) (12.6) within the report state. Volume can represent your
best estimate. Classify interdepartmental volumes used to fuel
company-owned generation facilities as electric power.
13.0 If you are a storage operator, report operations within the state:
Report the total volume added, regardless of ownership, to underground
storage (including new fields) (13.1) and liquefied natural gas (LNG)
storage additions (13.2) your company operated within the report state.
For the volume you reported on Line 13.1, include a corresponding
entry on Part 4 (supply), most likely on Line 5.0, so that the net
value of your storage activity’s supply and disposition is zero.
For Line 13.2 LNG storage injections, LNG import and export
marine terminals should not report injections of LNG during the
course of routine operations for handling imports nor held in storage
for future use.
The guide for LNG marine terminals has further guidance.
14.0 If you are an interstate pipeline company or other company
moving gas across or to state lines or U.S. borders, report
volumes transported: Report the name of the company, the
adjacent state or country to which you delivered gas, the means of
transportation used to deliver gas (by pipeline, vessel, or truck), and
the volume of gas you delivered at the state line or U.S. border. For
liquefied natural gas sales shipped by ship, truck, rail, or barge,
consider the loading terminal as a point on the state line or U.S.
border. Report the name of the state or country where you deliver
LNG, and describe the transaction in a footnote in Part 7.
15.0 If you are a producer, report lease use: Report the total
volume of gas you used in your company’s well, field, and lease
operations.
16.0 Returned to oil or gas reservoirs, used for repressuring,
reinjection (for producers only): Report the volume of gas
delivered directly from your system to oil or gas fields located within
the report state for repressuring, pressure maintenance, and cycling
operations.
17.0 Losses from leaks, damage, accidents, migration, and blow
down within the report state: Report known loss volumes as a
result of leaks, damage, accidents, migration and blow down within
the report state where these events took place. Indicate known and
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estimated losses from leaks encountered as a natural consequence of
distribution activities. Volume can be your best estimate.
18.0 Other disposition within report state (not included above):
Report any disposition of gas not included in lines 10.1 through 17.0.
Report disposition to distribution companies (18.1), other pipelines
(18.2), storage operators (18.3), and other (specify type) (18.4)
within the report state. Provide estimates of the volume involved, if
not measured. If you need additional space, continue on Part 7.
20.0 Difference between Supply (+) or Disposition (-) (Part 4 line
7.0 and Part 6 line 19.0): A positive entry indicates supply in excess
of accounted-for disposition and a negative entry (shown by a minus
sign preceding the entry) indicates accounted-for disposition in
excess of supply reported.
PART 7: FOOTNOTES
Use the Part 7 footnotes sheet to explain the data you reported on
Parts 1 through 6. The footnotes will become a permanent part of
your submission.

LNG MARINE TERMINALS REPORTING
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals should report the origin of
natural gas imported, along with its ultimate destination, whether it
is delivered to another pipeline, held in inventory, exported to a
foreign country, or consumed during operations.
LNG terminals may report volumes on Lines 3.0 (imports), 5.0
(other receipts), 7.0 (total supply), 8.0 (inventory as of December 31
of the report year), 12.0 (volumes consumed in operations), 14.0
(exports to other countries or disposition to interstate pipelines), 18.0
(deliveries within the report state), 19.0 (total disposition), and 20.0
(difference between supply and disposition). Please account for prior
year inventory (Line 8.0 of the prior year’s report) on Line 5.0 of the
current year’s report.
Figure 1 shows where you should report volumes on the Form EIA176.

Reported LNG Inventory: Current-year inventory reported on Line
8.0 should equal, or be very close to, the difference between the
supply and disposition reported on Line 20.0.

DEFINITIONS
Alternative Fuel: For transportation applications, alternative fuels
include the following:
• compressed natural gas
• gasoline-electric hybrid
• diesel-electric hybrid
• methanol
• denatured ethanol, and other alcohols
• fuel mixtures containing 85 percent or more by volume of
methanol, denatured ethanol, and other alcohols with
gasoline or other fuels
• natural gas
• liquefied petroleum gas (propane)
• hydrogen
• coal-derived liquid fuels
• fuels (other than alcohol) derived from biological materials
(biofuels such as soy diesel fuel)
• electricity (including electricity from solar energy)
"... any other fuel the Secretary determines, by rule, is substantially
not petroleum and would yield substantial energy security benefits
and substantial environmental benefits." The term "alternative fuel"
does not include alcohol or other blended portions of primarily
petroleum-based fuels used as oxygenates or extenders, i.e., MTBE,
ETBE, other ethers, and the 10-percent ethanol portion of gasohol.
Consumer: Any individually-metered dwelling, building,
establishment, or location that uses natural gas, synthetic natural gas,
or mixtures of natural and supplemental gas for feedstock or as fuel
for any purpose other than in oil or gas lease operations; natural gas
treating or processing plants; or pipeline, distribution, or storage
compressors.
Customer Choice: The right of customers to purchase energy from
a supplier other than their traditional suppliers or from more than one
seller in the retail market.
Delivered: The physical transfer of natural, synthetic, or
supplemental gas from facilities operated by the responding
company to facilities operated by others or to consumers.

Distributed
within the
State
Line 18.0

Prior-Year
Storage
Inventory
Line 5.0

Disposition: The removal of natural, synthetic, or supplemental gas
(or any components or gaseous mixtures contained in them) from the
responding company's facilities within the report state by any means
or for any purpose, including the transportation of such gas out of
the report state.
NG Facility Gas consumed
during operations
(space heat,
compressor use,
etc.)
Line 12.0

Exports
Line 14.0

Dry Natural Gas: Natural gas that remains after: 1) the liquefiable
hydrocarbon portion has been removed from the gas stream (i.e., gas
after lease, field, or plant separation); and 2) any volumes of
nonhydrocarbon gases have been removed where they occur in
sufficient quantity to render the gas unmarketable.
Dry natural gas is also known as consumer-grade natural gas. The
measurement unit is cubic feet at 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 14.73
pounds per square inch absolute.
Gatherer: A company primarily engaged in gathering natural gas
from well or field lines for delivery, for a fee, to a natural gas
processing plant or central point. Gathering companies may also
provide compression, dehydration, or treating services.
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Lease Operations: Any well, lease, or field operations related to
exploring or producing natural gas before delivery for processing or
transportation out of the field. Gas used in lease operations includes
drilling operations, heaters, dehydrators, field compressors, and net
use for gas lift.

Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG): A manufactured product,
chemically similar in most respects to natural gas, resulting
from the conversion or reforming of hydrocarbons that may
easily be substituted for or interchanged with pipeline-quality
natural gas. Also referred to as "substitute natural gas."

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG): Natural gas (primarily methane)
that has been liquefied by reducing its temperature to –260º
Fahrenheit at atmospheric pressure.

Underground Storage: The storage of natural gas in
underground reservoirs at a different location from where it was
produced.

Marine Terminal: Point of import or export for tankers carrying
liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Wet Natural Gas: A mixture of hydrocarbon compounds and
small quantities of various nonhydrocarbons existing in the gaseous
phase or in solution with crude oil in porous rock formations at
reservoir conditions. The principal hydrocarbons normally
contained in the mixture are methane, ethane, propane, butane,
and pentane. Typical nonhydrocarbon gases that may be present in
reservoir natural gas are water vapor, carbon dioxide, hydrogen
sulfide, nitrogen and trace amounts of helium. Under reservoir
conditions, natural gas and its associated liquefiable portions occur
either in a single gaseous phase in the reservoir or in a
solution with crude oil and are not distinguishable at the time
as separate substances. The Securities and Exchange Commission
and the Financial Accounting Standards Board refer to this product as
natural gas.

Maximum Daily Sendout Capacity: Maximum daily rate at which
liquefied natural gas can be regassified and sent out from an LNG
facility.
Mcf: 1,000 cubic feet.
Natural Gas: A gaseous mixture of hydrocarbon compounds, the
primary one being methane. Dry Natural Gas and Wet Natural
Gas definitions provide more detailed information.
Offshore: The geographic area that lies seaward of the coastline. In
general, the coastline is the line of ordinary low water along with that
portion of the coast that is in direct contact with the open sea or the
line marking the seaward limit of inland water. If a state agency uses
a different basis for classifying onshore and offshore areas use the
state classification (e.g., Cook Inlet in Alaska is classified as
offshore; for Louisiana, the coastline is defined as the Chapman
Line, as modified by subsequent adjudication).
Operator: The company responsible for the management and dayto-day operations of natural gas production, gathering, treating,
processing, transportation, storage, distribution facilities, or a
synthetic natural gas plant.
Pipeline: A continuous pipe conduit, complete with equipment such
as valves, compressor stations, communication systems, and meters
for transporting natural or supplemental gas from one point to
another, usually from a point on or beyond the producing field or
processing plant to another pipeline or to points of use. Also refers
to a company operating such facilities.
Producer: A company engaged in the production and sale of natural
gas from gas or oil wells with delivery generally at or near the
wellhead, the field, or the tailgate of a gas processing plant. For the
purpose of company classification, a company primarily engaged in
the exploration, development, or production of oil and natural gas.
Received: Gas physically transferred into the responding company’s
transportation, storage, or distribution facilities.
Renewable Natural Gas: A gaseous substance consisting mostly of
methane, and chemically similar to conventional natural gas.
Renewable natural gas can be produced by purifying biogas
produced at landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, and digesters.
Supplemental Gas: Any gaseous substance introduced into or
commingled with natural gas that increases the volume available
for disposition. Such substances include, but are not limited to,
propane-air, refinery gas, coke oven gas, still gas, manufactured
gas, biomass gas, or air or inerts added for Btu stabilization.
Supply: Natural, synthetic, and supplemental gas produced within,
introduced into, or received into facilities operated by the
responding company within the report state for disposition
during the report year.

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
Information reported on Form EIA-176 is considered public
information and may be publicly released in company or
individually identifiable form.

SANCTIONS
Form EIA-176 is mandatory under 15 U.S.C. §772(b). Failure to
respond may result in a civil penalty of not more than $10,821 each
day for each violation. The government may bring a civil action to
prohibit reporting violations which may result in a temporary
restraining order or a preliminary or permanent injunction without
bond. In such civil action, the court may also issue mandatory
injunctions commanding any person to comply with these reporting
requirements.

FILING FORMS WITH FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND ESTIMATED
REPORTING BURDEN
Respondents are not required to file or reply to any federal
collection of
information
unless
it
has
a
valid
OMB-approved number. Public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated to average 12 hours
per response. This estimate includes the time for reviewing
instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing
the collection of information. Send comments regarding this
burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of
information including suggestions for reducing this burden
to:
U.S.
Energy
Information Administration, Office of
Survey Development and Statistical Integration,
EI-21,
1000
Independence
Avenue,
S.W., Washington, DC
20585; and to the Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington,

DC 20503.

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